John 6:54 promises anyone who does eat My flesh and drink My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him at the Last Day.

We call this symbolic participation in the body and blood of Christ the Eucharist, Communion or the Lord’s Supper. The earliest church practiced this event at every gathering, a tradition still in place by some of the Church.

But what is this eating of His flesh and drinking of His blood?

Many of the first disciples who heard God say this walked away from Him thinking He had lost His mind. Muslims find this teaching barbaric even cannibalistic proving in their minds the falsity of the Christian religion.

So what is God inviting us into when He invites us to supper with Him and He is the main course?

The invitation is to fellowship with Him by recognition of Who He is and what He has done for us.

Humanity is separated from God at birth and must be reconciled to Him through Jesus the Savior if they are to live forever with God in peace.

This reconciliation is made possible only through God Himself Who becoming Man, sacrificed His body as punishment for our rebellion and shed His blood as an offering to make us perfect in God’s sight. The Body was broken in punishment the blood was shed to cleanse away our guilt.

Forecasting His literal death and resurrection, Jesus commanded His followers to remember His work and His promise when they gather by taking bread and wine and reminding themselves of His sacrifice and reconciliation for them.

God desires a relationship with humanity like a father to his child. God told us to call Him Father indicating His love and desire for intimacy with His creation.

A restored relationship with God the Father is only possible through God the Son whose life, death and resurrection we both commemorate and celebrate when we meet together to break bread and drink wine.